


Finding Happiness

by DiaryofaWriter



Category: Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Blood, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Future Torture, Loki shows up and crashes a wedding, Non-canon Age of Ultron, hijinks with a side of serious, in which thor and sif have to face their feelings or suffer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-14 14:35:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8017780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiaryofaWriter/pseuds/DiaryofaWriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of Age of Ultron, Thor returns home to inform his father about the Mind Gem. While there, he finds himself in a very strange situation; his father wishes him to marry. The wife of Odin's choice: Sif.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding Happiness

Thor looked up into the night sky for several long minutes, his gaze thoughtful and a bit reluctant. So much had happened in recent days, and he now had to face something he had not wished to for a long time yet; his family. After the Svartalf attack upon Asgard, it had just been easier to get away from it all. Having so much responsibility placed before him, even though he was much more suited to it now than he had been a few years before, was still a great challenge. There was also the difficulty of seeing his mother after the death of his brother...

  
Knowing that, despite the grave injury she had sustained in fighting Malekith, Frigga still survived was a great comfort to Thor. What made that comfort somewhat hollow was that Frigga had lost yet another son to violence. A part of Thor was certain that, if his beloved mother should see him now, she would resent him for being the son who lived. It was not entirely logical, and if any of his friends either on Midgard or Asgard knew of this fear, they would cry out in protest. All the same, Thor's heart ached to think of the pain in his mother's eyes when she thought of Loki and Balder.

Now, he had no choice but to return home.

Looking down at his hands, Thor examined the now gem-less scepter that Loki had wielded during the Battle of New York some four years ago. It seemed too strange, to know that it had once housed the powerful Mind Gem. For so long, Thor had thought the Infinity Gems to be nothing but a legend his mother told him of at bedtime. He would have to speak at length about this discovery with the Allfather. Perhaps he would understand why so many Infinity Gems had begun to reappear in the universe after centuries of being considered little more than stories for children.

Of course, in order to do this, he would have to speak to Heimdall. Looking up into the sky once more, Thor took a deep breath and closed his eyes slowly.

"Heimdall, my old friend," he said in a low voice. "I am ready to come home."

Above him, the heavens opened with a brilliant flash of light that broke into the myriad colors of a rainbow. There was no heat in the light as it enveloped Thor's body, just a sense of familiarity and comfort. Gravity became a meaningless concept as he was brought upwards at speeds that would normally rip a living being to shreds. With his eyes still closed, Thor just lost himself in the sensations of the Bifrost, letting the familiarity of it calm his growing nervousness at the idea of facing his father again.

When the light of the Bifrost faded away, he finally opened his eyes to find himself staring into the golden gaze of Heimdall. The dark-skinned Aesir smiled ever so slightly at Thor and bowed his head in respect.

"My prince," he greeted quietly. "We've long awaited your return."

"I am sure you have, my friend," Thor replied, clapping a hand onto Heimdall's shoulder with a slight smile of his own. "Forgive me for being so preoccupied with other matters."

"It is not my place to judge," Heimdall shrugged, his eyes dancing with mirth. "Your lady mother would wish to see you immediately, if it is at all possible."

Thor's spine instantly grew a bit straighter, his shoulders a bit tighter, at the mention of his mother. It had been nearly two years since he had last spoken with Frigga. All his fears about such a confrontation returned with a sudden wave of anxiety. Heimdall seemed to sense this, as he reached out to clap Thor on the shoulder.

"Go to her, Thor," he said gently. "She has longed for the presence of her son."

There didn't seem to be any good answer to this. Thor simply nodded and gave Heimdall's shoulder a slight squeeze before he made his way down the long Rainbow Bridge. In the distance, he saw the glowing, golden spires of the city rising up towards the stars.  
Even after two years, there were signs of the damage done to Asgard by Malekith and his armies. Statues were cracked or missing whole sections, and several buildings were surrounded by workers, even at such a late hour as this. Smiling sadly to himself, Thor continued walking slowly, the scepter and Mjolnir held loosely in his two hands.

With no horse, and choosing not to fly, the journey to the grand palace was a long one for Thor. Here, closer to the center of the city, the signs of war were much less frequent. Even the decapitated statues of Bor were repaired. The one sign of what had happened two years before was in the outer wall of the palace, where the throne room was. There, even now, was still a large hole. It was much smaller than it had been when Thor and Loki stole a Svartalf ship, but it was considerable for all the time that had passed. For several moments, Thor simply stood at the base of the palace, looking up at that hole in the wall. Finally, he couldn't put it off any longer and made his way into the palace.

At such a late hour, Frigga and Odin would be in their own personal chambers, along with most of the courtiers who lived within the palace. There were always exceptions, of course. It was likely that Lady Sif and the Warriors Three were somewhere within the city, either aiding in the rebuilding or at a tavern. The servants would still be busy for several hours, cleaning up after the customarily large evening meal and ensuring that all would run smoothly come the morning. Making his way down the halls, Thor found his feet took him to his mother's private sitting room without even having to think about it. As he stood at the door, he hesitated, his hands clenching tightly around the scepter and hammer that he held.

"Come in," Frigga's voice was clear and kind, even as Thor continued to hesitate.

Thor found himself smiling without meaning to. Even if he had tried to sneak up on his mother, he would never have been able to. She never made much of it, but Frigga was the foremost soothsayer in all of Asgard; possibly in all the Nine Realms. No one could surprise her, no matter how they tried.

Slowly, Thor shifted the scepter to the hand that held Mjolnir and pushed open the door of his mother's sitting room. It was all just as he remembered from his childhood. Golden walls were adorned with the various tapestries that Frigga had woven over the years, showing the story of her family from her wedding day to the present. The floor was covered by heavy fur rugs that stopped just beyond the hearth of the glowing fire that was in the very center of the room. At the far corner of the room, just beside the stairs leading to Frigga's personal balcony that overlooked the gardens, was a loom as large as those used by the professional weavers in the city. Beside the loom was a spinning wheel nearly as large as the loom itself and a group of baskets full to the brim with various fibers to be spun. Between the loom and spinning wheel were the spindles full of thread, ready to be woven into something beautiful. Sitting at the loom, her golden hair loose about her kindly face, was Frigga, the Queen and Allmother of Asgard.

Instantly, Thor felt like a small child come to his mother's side in search of comfort. The sceptor and hammer fell from his suddenly numb fingers, landing with muffled thumps onto the heavy furs. Only then did Frigga turn to face the door. She looked tired, Thor thought as he strode across the room to his mother's side. A guilty part of his mind wondered just how much of that exhaustion was caused by worry for his sake. Within moments, he was knelt at his mother's side and wrapped his arms around her delicate waist as he pressed his face against her stomach.

"Oh, my sweet boy," Frigga said softly, her arms wrapping around him. "Shhh, it's all right, my sweet."

They were both silent for a long time, drawing comfort from one another's presence. Thor hadn't realized just how dearly he had missed his mother until this moment, and now that he was back in her arms, he had no wish to leave anytime soon. Finally, he drew back and looked into his mother's eyes. They were a calming blue, the color of a morning sky, and full of love. At the corners of her eyes were fresh lines of worry, rather than the old lines of laughter and joy that Thor had been so familiar with.

"You look well, Mother," he murmured.

"As do you," Frigga smiled, cupping her hands over his cheeks and examining his face closely. "It would seem that Midgard has suited you well, though you look rather thin for my tastes."

Thor couldn't help the surprised bark of laughter that burst forth from his lips. Only Frigga would worry that Midgardians wouldn't know how to properly feed a prince of Asgard. His response seemed to please his mother, as she smiled more and pressed a tender kiss to his forehead. As her lips pressed against his skin, Thor felt the warmth of his mother's magic moving through him; a mother's blessing, long awaited by both son and mother.

"It's been too long," Frigga sighed when she pulled away. "This palace has seemed empty without the voice of my son ringing through the halls."

My only living son. The words hung between the two of them, unspoken and yet deeply felt by both.

"I apologize, Mother," Thor said contritely, hanging his head in shame. "I would have come sooner, but...I was afraid."

Frigga gently cupped her hand under Thor's chin, forcing him to look up into her eyes. She was still smiling, though it was now tinged with sadness and regret.

"None can fault you for fearing what sort of welcome would await you here," she assured him. "You faced and lost much when last you were among your family, after all. Though I do wish you had found a way to send word to us. Visions and Heimdall's reports are poor substitutes for the voice of my own son."

Thor smiled sadly and rested his forehead against his mother's. "Can you ever forgive me for my cowardly pride?"

"There is nothing to forgive, silly boy."

After another few moments of silence, Thor pushed himself to his feet and offered his mother a hand. She accepted the hand and let her son help her to her feet. Thor noted with a pang of guilt that Frigga still favored her left side. Even with all the medical skills of the healers of Asgard, Malekith's blade had damaged Frigga's body enough that she would always be unable to walk without a limp and some pain.

"Don't look at me like I am about to collapse in a faint, Thor," Frigga chided lovingly, shaking her head fondly at him. "I'm not so frail as I look."

Thor said nothing in response. Instead, he helped Frigga to her favored chair by the fire and once more knelt at her feet. Just behind his mother were the scepter and Mjolnir. Frigga turned her gaze to both weapons and arched an eyebrow questioningly.

"It seems you found the scepter you and your mortal friends were seeking," she said slowly. "Heimdall knew only of the search, not the outcome. Surely, that is a tale worth telling and hearing."

"I am not so sure of that," Thor sighed, drawing one knee to his chest and resting his arm on top of it. "There was...much pain and loss involved."

"Such quests often involve loss and pain, sweetling," Frigga sighed, toying with Thor's hair. "It is the way you handle that pain that makes you a good man or a weak one."

Leaning against his mother's leg, Thor closed his eyes. She didn't press him to go ahead with the story, and he was immensely grateful for this. Finally, he began to speak of what had passed since he last left Asgard. He told of his short time with just Jane, Erik Selvig and Darcy Lewis first.

Coming back to Midgard after the attack by Malekith had been a healing balm on the prince's emotional and mental wounds. He had needed the relative simplicity of life that could be found among the academics with whom Jane and her friends associated. Unfortunately, such a simple life had soon begun to chafe at Thor. He still cared deeply for Jane, and even loved her in a way, but he realized only a few months after returning to London that such a life wasn't for him. Jane had been most understanding, and they were still in contact even to the day he had decided to return to Asgard. Thor would always respect the brilliant woman, but he knew now that he couldn't always be in love with her; she would one day grow old and die, while he was still hale and young. With that realization in his heart, he had gone to New York, seeking the other Avengers.

They had welcomed him readily enough. Natasha Romanoff, surprisingly, was the quickest to welcome him in. The redheaded warrior woman had been his greatest advocate among the Avengers, surpassing even Captain America, who was the soul of consideration. As Thor described each of his new friends and teammates to his mother, he found himself going on tangents about the sort of people they were.

There was the good Captain, who was as moral and upstanding as could be expected from a man chosen to become the face of a rebellion against evil. Lady Romanoff was an enigma, but a pleasant one. She often would test how many languages the Allspeak allowed Thor to understand by speaking in strange tongues to see if he could make out her words. The Man of Iron, while he was ever a supporter of forward thinking, was also lost within his own demons more often than not. Thor often worried about the emotional state of Tony Stark, though he rarely voiced such concern. Hawkeye was much easier to read than any of the other members of the team. Born a simple man, Clint Barton had remained simple in manner, though surprisingly quick of mind and wit. Banner, of course, was the one everyone else worried about, though Thor saw no danger in him. Yes, it was true that Banner's other self could often be difficult to control, but short of a great disturbance, Banner was mostly the master of his own mind and body.

Beyond the original members of the Avengers, there had been new friends to meet and welcome into Thor's life. This line of thought, unfortunately, led into less pleasant reveries. Frigga sensed this in her son's demeanor, and she once more began to stroke his hair as though he were a small boy again.

Slower than before, Thor continued his tale. He told of the search for the scepter and how it had eventually been found by the Avengers. As he spoke, his fingers slowly clenched into fists. He told of the twins, Wanda and Pietro, and what had been done to them by HYDRA. Frigga grew still beside him as she listened, her hand shaking against his head. Thor continued on, speaking of how Ultron had come forth and the twins had joined forces with the misguided robot. His voice grew hoarse as he spoke of the visions Wanda made him see, and the way the twins eventually came to the Avengers, seeking amnesty for what they had misguidedly done. Then, he began to describe the Vision, and Frigga's fingers tightened on his shoulder.

"You say this...this being has the Mind Gem within its very self?" Frigga asked in shock.

Thor looked up at his mother, genuinely surprised by her reaction. He hadn't seen his mother so legitimately surprised in decades. Frowning a little, he sat up straighter and nodded slowly.

"Aye, it has," he said slowly. "Is that so concerning?"

"Not necessarily concerning, no," Frigga sighed. "It's difficult to explain, Thor. Perhaps I will leave that explanation to your father."

Thor nodded thoughtfully at this and then continued with his story. As he spoke of the near-death of Pietro and how the young Wanda had responded, a look of deep, pained understanding crossed Frigga's face. She twisted her fingers in her son's hair gently and pressed her forehead to his as she listened. By the time Thor had finished telling of the battle in Sokovia, tears were running down Frigga's cheeks.

"I am so sorry you had to face such things, Thor," she murmured, stroking his hair tenderly.

"Somehow...I am not sorry," Thor said slowly. "Somehow, I feel that, even with all of my fears about returning home, my time away made me better prepared for the world of Asgard."

A sad smile crossed Frigga's face as she wiped her tears away. "I can respect that," she nodded slowly. "We should speak with your father soon. Particularly about the Mind Gem and its fate."

Thor sighed heavily at this statement. As much as he loved and respected his father, Thor did not often agree with Odin about a great many things. Perhaps it was simply a similarity in temperaments that caused such a clash of wills and ideals. After all, Thor could easily admit to having a hot and ready temper, and he knew his father was little better in that regard.

"You know he will need to know, Thor," Frigga said quietly. "Even if you will both disagree about things."

"I am too much my father's son in some ways," Thor sighed. "As I am not enough your son in anything but spirit."

Frigga smiled more sincerely, gently touching his cheek. "Even if I did not carry you in my womb as I did Balder, you are as much my son as he ever was," she assured him with a tender smile. "Now, come. Your father will still be in his workroom."

Unable to withstand his mother's will any further, Thor stood and once again helped his mother to her feet. Frigga gently slid her hand through the loop of his arm, squeezing gently as she smiled up at him. With his mother beside him, Thor picked up the scepter and Mjolir before he slowly led the way to Odin's workroom. It seemed he could not put off his reunion with the Allfather any further.

The door of Odin's workroom was ornately carved with tales from the history of his house, going back to Bor's grandfather. Just as he had been as a child, Thor was intimidated by the door. He knew that behind it was the most powerful leader in all of the Nine Realms, and he was about to inform said leader that one of the Infinity Gems was now in the hands of a synthetic being. Glancing at Frigga for strength, Thor took a steadying breath before he reached up to knock on the heavy door.

There was no answering voice from behind the door. Instead, the door swung open slowly on silent hinges. Thor sighed a little in frustration at this minor, yet still obvious show of power. It seemed that, even knowing his son was come home, Odin felt the need to remind him who was king here. A completely unnecessary show of power, as far as Thor was concerned. Not that he would ever express such a feeling to his father.

Stepping into the workroom of Odin Borson was a study in contrasts with the sitting room of Frigga. The walls here were all dark, whether because of heavy fabrics hanging from the ceiling or large bookcases full of texts in various languages. These books were the focus of most of the room, as they were the only colored part of it. The heavy leather bindings shone in deep colors that mimicked the hues of gems. There was also no fire in the room, just sconces hung in various corners of the room, giving flickering light that provided barely enough illumination to read by. Sitting behind a large desk made of dark wood harvested from Alfheim and carved to mimic the legs and scales of a great dragon, was Odin himself.

Once, Thor had been in awe of his father. He had seemed so wise and old, with his hair gone white after years living among the Nine Realms and his missing eye. Now, as a man who had traveled within the Realms for himself, and even lived among the average mortals of Midgard, Thor didn't know if he could view his father with quite the same awe anymore. He still loved Odin, even respected him, but he now knew more about how the universe worked beyond Odin's scope of vision.

"So," Odin said slowly, looking up from a manuscript and facing his eldest son. "You have returned."

It wasn't quite clear to Thor if Odin was relieved or even happy to see him. All he was sure of was a sense that Odin wished it had happened much sooner. Whether it was because his father had truly missed him or something else, Thor didn't much appreciate the insinuation.

"I have, Father," he said respectfully. "Forgive me for taking so long to return."

Odin met Thor's gaze evenly, his single blue eye seeming to stare straight into Thor's very soul. "You've done nothing that has not been done by other Asgardian princes in the past, my son," the Allfather finally said slowly. "Much as I might wish it were otherwise, there is little I can do about it."

Thor nodded a little stiffly, wishing the tension that had grown between Odin and himself had never come to pass, but also unable to do anything about it. Odin sighed heavily and for the first time, perhaps in his entire life, Thor realized just how old his father looked. Stepping towards the enormous desk, Thor hesitated and then glanced back at his mother. Frigga nodded encouragingly with a slight smile.

Slowly, Thor placed the scepter on the top of the desk. Odin's single eye widened as he realized what his son had just placed before him. Glancing up into his son's eyes, Odin slowly took the scepter in hand and examined it.

"Where is the gem you described as being within this scepter?" the Allfather demanded after a moment's close examination.

"It was...absorbed into a synthetic being known as the Vision," Thor said, carefully choosing his words. "Also...Father, this gem was the Mind Gem."

There had been very few times in Thor's life when he had seen the Allfather truly rendered speechless. This was one of those times. Odin dropped the scepter with a clatter, staring hard at Thor in shock.

"You cannot be serious," he said slowly.

"Unfortunately, I can," Thor sighed. "The Mind Gem now rests in the form of the Vision, an android whom Mjolnir has found to be worthy."

This declaration only further served to shock the Allfather. Frigga, who had already heard Thor's tale, was unaffected by this. Moving to stand beside her husband, she rested a hand on Odin's shoulder and gave a soft squeeze. The touch of his wife seemed to break Odin free of his startled reverie. Looking up at his wife, Odin took her hand in his with a slight smile before he faced Thor again.

"These are troubling tidings you bring with you, Thor," he said slowly.

"I do not find them quite so troubling as that, Father," Thor retorted quietly. "In fact, I find them to be rather encouraging."

Odin gave his eldest son a sharp look, narrowing his one eye thoughtfully. "And why would you consider them to be encouraging?" he asked slowly. "Another Infinity Gem found, and now it is in the hands of a creature that we cannot entirely vouch for."

"It's a better fate than has recently come upon the Aether," Thor retorted. "Did we not recently hear that the Collector's supposedly completely protected sanctuary was destroyed by the Power Gem? Now we do not know where the Aether is. For all we know, it could be in the hands of the Mad Titan himself!"

A frown crossed Odin's face at this. "What do you know of the Mad Titan, Thor?" he asked.

"Too little, but I know of his union with Ronan the Accuser," Thor shrugged. "There are rumors of Ronan's demise, and the Nova Corps taking the Power Gem. There are also rumors that there is one called the Mad Titan who was playing Ronan's strings."

Odin sighed heavily and sat back, rubbing at his forehead. "There is much still to be learned," he said after a moment. "But you are right about the Mad Titan's connection to the Gems. How deep it goes, even I do not know. I am uncertain if even Heimdall could tell us for certain."

"That is far more troubling than knowing with absolute certainty where the Mind Gem is at this time," Thor pointed out quietly.

"That may well be," Odin sighed. "But we do not have the luxury of debating it right now. You are just newly returned and must be tired. Go and make yourself at home. We will talk more of this at a later time; after I have had time to consult with others about it."

Thor opened his mouth, about to argue with his father about his decision. A look from Frigga, followed by a shake of her head, silenced him before he could even speak. With a sigh, he nodded at his father.

"Very well," he said quietly. "I will speak with you later, Father." He paused for a moment before he added, sincerely, "it is good to be home again."

~*~*~

  
When Thor had left the room, Frigga looked down into her husband's eye and sighed. "Well," she said slowly.  
  
"That is a very astute observation, my wife," Odin murmured with a wry smile up at her. "At least he is home again."  
  
"But for how long?" Frigga asked, moving to sit in the chair on the opposite side of Odin's desk. "When he was last here, it was only for a few years. He will likely return to Midgard in the future. It is his second home now."

Odin nodded slowly, reaching out to take his wife's hand in his. "I know he will. But it is growing near time for him to accept his duties as the King of Asgard."

"And is he aware that such a time is near?" Frigga demanded, arching an eyebrow. "Odin, you have hardly spoken with your own son for nearly three years. How is this in any way going to ensure he will be a better king?"

For several moments, Odin didn't answer, his expression troubled. When he finally spoke, he gave his wife's hand a gentle squeeze. "I know you do not quite understand how I have been able to justify the decisions I made with regards to our sons," he said carefully. "I do not blame you for this. In many ways, I am still trying to justify some of those decisions. But, in this matter, I have no justification. Thor and I have been growing apart, it is true. Perhaps it is my own doing, but there is little I can do to change that."  
  
Frigga looked ready to argue for a moment, but thought better of it. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she pressed a hand to her forehead tiredly. "I just miss having my son here," she finally said.

"I know, my love."

They were both silent after that. When Odin began to speak again, his words were slower than before, carefully chosen.

"Perhaps, my wife, it is time for our eldest to find himself a bride."

The look Frigga gave her husband was startled, and somewhat confused. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Thor has shown no inclination towards marriage."

"Was I entirely inclined towards marriage when we were to be wed?" Odin challenged. "He will be king one day, Frigga, and as a king he must have a wife."

"This will not help your relationship with him, if you press the matter," Frigga sighed. "You know this."

"But it is what must be done."

Looking away from her husband with a sigh, Frigga shook her head and closed her eyes. "If that is your will, Allfather," she said quietly. "Shall I inform our son or would you wish to?"

"I will, once he has settled."

Frigga nodded and stood slowly, turning away from the desk. "I will be in my sitting room," she said. "Send for me if you need any advice."

Odin watched his wife leave the room and sighed heavily, passing a hand over his face. His wife may not entirely approve of his choice, and his son would most certainly not understand, but there were things that had to be done as a monarch. Thor would simply have to learn to accept this fact.


End file.
